The present invention is directed to a patient elevation and positioning apparatus for positioning a patient on a patient support structure, such as a surgical table, for a medical procedure. In particular, the present invention is directed to an apparatus for performing a “sandwich and roll” procedure while transferring a patient in a supine position from a bed, gurney or trolley to a prone position on the surgical table.
Certain surgical procedures require changing a patient's body position during said procedure. For example, spinal surgery may require rolling the patient over from a prone position to a supine position, and vice versa. When a standard surgical table is used, rolling the patient over or taking a radiograph often requires transferring the patient between the surgical table and another support, and then back again. Such transfer procedures interrupt the surgical procedure, are cumbersome, and may compromise the surgical site.
Some modern surgical tables, such as modular, multi-articulated patient positioning support systems, have been developed for supporting the patient in a variety of positions and for moving the patient's body in various ways during a surgical procedure, including bending or articulating the patient at the hips, placing the patient in Trendelenburg and reverse-Trendelenburg positions, tilting the patient, and rolling the patient over. Such patient positioning support systems typically include a base with a pair of independently adjustable telescoping support columns that are connected by and support an articulatable patient support structure or table top. The patient support structure may be raised and lowered, and rotated with respect to any of the longitudinal, transverse and vertical axes, so as to be tilted about one or more of the transverse axes, and so as to be rolled about the longitudinal axis in both horizontal and tilted orientations. During some surgeries, a traditional closed patient support structure is replaced with an open frame patient support structure that allows the patient's abdomen to depend therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,152,261 to Jackson, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a closed frame modular, multi-articulated patient positioning support system with independently adjustable head- and foot-end telescoping risers, which support a patient support structure that can be raised, lowered and rolled about a longitudinal axis in various horizontal and tilted orientations. A secondary elevator enables lowering the patient support structure foot end to near the floor. A patient placed on the patient support structure can be rolled 180° after installation of a stationary riser and an auxiliary table top that sandwiches the patient against the patient support structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,565,708 to Jackson, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes an infinitely adjustable patient positioning support system with and open frame patient support structure that can be articulated or angulated with respect to a centrally-located transverse axis, as well as being raised, lowered and rolled about the longitudinal axis in various horizontal and tilted orientations. An table top structure may be attached to and spaced from the patient support structure, for rolling the patient 180°, however, the distance between the patient support structure and the table top structure must be adjusted manually.
Prior to a surgical procedure, a patient is usually anaesthetized and then place of the patient support structure. Since the patient begins in a supine position on a gurney, also referred to as a trolley or a stretcher, and must be transferred to a prone position on an open frame patient support structure, such positioning procedures can be quite difficult. Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus for positioning a patient on a patient positioning support structure in the prone position.